Modular wall panel section, system and method thereof

ABSTRACT

A modular wall panel section configured to retain ground and structural elements is provided, the section comprising one or more pillars, at least one wall panel secured to the one or more pillars, and surrounding elements coupling the one or more pillars to the at least one wall panel. Further provided is a modular wall panel system comprising two or more modular wall panel sections and wherein the two or more modular wall panel sections are coupled to one another at one of the one or more pillars. A method of installing a modular wall panel system comprising two or more modular wall panel sections is also provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present patent application claims the benefits of priority ofUnited-States Patent Application No. 63/162,237, entitled “STANDARD,MODULAR AND MULTI-STAGE ARCHITECTURE METHOD FOR A UNIVERSALLY REVERSIBLEGROUND RETAINING WALL PANEL SYSTEM”, and filed at the United-StatesPatent and Trademark Office on Mar. 17, 2021, the content of which isincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to the field of landscaping andretaining wall building and construction panel namely for railroad workssuch as for waysides, grade crossing signals and signal bridges.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There presently exists various industrial solutions for structuralground landscaping by means of retaining walls and panels which are setonto the ground mainly with pillars and walls attached thereafter andherein is presented an alternative and innovative approach to achieve anadaptable and integrated retaining wall method in order to build aninstallation and assembly of universally reversible retaining panelsinto a universal and standard modular multi-stage retaining wallarchitecture, with having various and variable staircases, steps orstages. Namely here are various means of retaining wall architecturethat don't allow the full advantages herein disclosed, such as limitedand limitative methods to:

-   -   Erect a building (USA102871544)    -   Construct of a building simultaneously below and above ground        level (USA103457690)    -   Construct underground concrete walls and reinforcement cages        (USA104005582)    -   Build a basement construction (USA104875807)    -   Combine a traffic barrier and a retaining wall and method of        construction (USA105471811)    -   Build underground structure (USB106332303)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a standard, modular and multi-stage architecture method fora universally reversible ground retaining wall panel system, the presentinvention is made to be built with a partly underground or buriedstructure capable of utilizing part of a permanent structure with apillar design which can be of many shapes or various standard structuressuch as but not limited to, rounded bars or H-section, and of which thesaid pillar position can be made from various existing solutions,implying namely bayonet joints, towards a universal and standardapproach for a variable, modular and adaptable boundary wall to retainthe ground. The system can take part in a simple installation methodthrough repeating the same steps to constitute an easy and simplersolution than what is existing on the market. The system can take partin excavation work, landscaping, construction, and other industrialapplications with providing in itself a simpler and safer solution. Theconcept is built around the standard coupling of pillars, which can beadded altogether and receive said surrounding elements solidary to thewall panels for their rotation of angle and their solidary intertwiningand interlocking with other wall panel architectural formations. Thepillar system works after then as to hold many possible retaining walldesigns comprised of solidary and surrounding elements to the saidretaining wall panels in order to be fixed about to and/or around to thesaid pillars. Thereby, the innovative approach is always standard andmodular and can provide various retaining wall functions and positions,at multiple locations, and constitute a multi-stage architecture methodfor a universally reversible ground retaining wall panel system, buildon ground, with ability to be installed underground. All of the aboveparts of the system can be built from any materials such as, and notlimited to, composite, steel, synthetic and concrete.

The shortcomings of the prior art are generally mitigated by providing amodular wall panel section, the section comprising: one or more pillars;at least one wall panel secured to the one or more pillars; andsurrounding elements coupling the one or more pillars to the at leastone wall panel. The surrounding elements of the one or more pillars maybe offset from one another along a height of the pillar. The surroundingelements of a first pillar may be offset unsymmetrically with thesurrounding elements of a second pillar. The one or more pillars may beconfigured to be coupled with surrounding elements of another modularwall panel section, the offset of the surrounding elements beingdifferent from the offset of the surrounding elements of the othermodular wall panel section.

In another aspect of the invention, a section may further compriseintermediary surrounding elements located along a length of the at leastone wall panel and configured to be coupled to a pillar of anothermodular wall panel section.

In another aspect of the invention, the one or more pillars may comprisea base and a pole, the base comprising a hole for receiving an elongatedsection of the pole and the pole configured to be coupled to thesurrounding elements.

In another aspect of the invention, the surrounding elements may bemanufactured unitarily with the at least one wall panel.

In another aspect of the invention, two or more of the wall panels maybe stacked on top of one another.

In another aspect of the invention, the at least one wall panel may havea curved shape.

In another aspect of the invention, the at least one wall panel maycomprise reinforcing elements.

In another aspect of the invention, the section may be configured toretain ground and structural elements.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, a modular wall panel systemis provided, the system comprising: two or more modular wall panelsections, the sections each comprising: one or more pillars; at leastone wall panel secured to the one or more pillars; and surroundingelements coupling the one or more pillars to the at least one wallpanel, wherein the two or more modular wall panel sections are coupledto one another at one of the one or more pillars. The surroundingelements of one of the two or more modular wall panel sections may beoffset from one another, the offset being different from the offset ofsurrounding elements of another of the two or more modular wall panelsections.

In another aspect of the invention, the two or more modular wall panelsections may further comprise intermediary surrounding elements locatedalong a length of the at least one wall panel and configured to becoupled to the pillar of another modular wall panel section.

In another aspect of the invention, a height of one of the two or moremodular wall panel sections may be different from a height of another ofthe two or more modular wall panel sections.

In another aspect of the invention, a length of one of the two or moremodular wall panel sections may be different from a length of another ofthe two or more modular wall panel sections.

In another aspect of the invention, the system may be configured toretain ground and structural elements.

In another embodiment of the invention, a method of installing a modularwall panel system is provided, the method comprising the steps of:securing to the ground two or more pillars; coupling to the two or morepillars at least one wall panel with surrounding elements to create afirst wall section; and securing a second wall section to the first wallsection by coupling surrounding elements of the second wall section toone of the two or more pillars of the first wall section. The method mayfurther comprise offsetting the surrounding elements of the at least onewall panel of the first wall section at a predetermined distance fromone another, and offsetting the surrounding elements of the second wallsection unsymmetrically to the offset of the surrounding elements of theat least one wall panel of the first wall section. The method mayfurther comprise: securing for each of the two or more pillars a base tothe ground and securing to each of the bases a pole configured to becoupled to the surrounding elements.

Other and further aspects and advantages of the present invention willbe obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiments aboutto be described or will be indicated in the appended claims, and variousadvantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the artupon employment of the invention in practice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the inventionwill become more readily apparent from the following description,reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a modular wall panel system inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a wall panel section inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another wall panel section in accordancewith the principles of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A novel modular wall panel section, system and method thereof are hereinpresented. Although the invention is described in terms of specificillustrative embodiments, it is to be understood that the embodimentsdescribed herein are by way of example only and that the scope of theinvention is not intended to be limited thereby.

Referring to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a modular wall panel system 100 isillustrated. The modular wall panel system 100 comprises a plurality ofwall section 1, 2, 3 coupled to one another at pillars 20 which may besecured in the ground. The sections further comprise one or more rows ofpanels 15, 16, 17 installed between two pillars 20 and used to retainexternal elements such as the ground surfaces 30, 31, 32, 33 and/orstructural elements 34. The system 100 may be configured to be used inexcavation work, landscaping, construction, and other industrialapplications while providing a simpler and safer solution. For example,in FIG. 1, the ground surfaces from ground level 30, can variate intoground 33, 32, 31. Understandably, the system 100 may also be used toretain other types of materials or liquids.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrating two respective modular wallpanel sections 1 and 2, the sections may comprise a partly buried orunderground base 23 configured to retain or support a pole 21 of apillar 20 which may comprise various shapes or various standardstructures such as, rounded bars or H-section. The pillar 20 may utilizevarious existing solutions for interconnecting the pole 21 to the base25. For example, bayonet joints may be used, in which a bayonet 22 isconfigured to be received in a hole 24. In other embodiments, thereversible ground retaining wall may comprise any other connection meansknown in the art.

The modular wall panel sections 1 and 2 may comprise pillars 20 goingwithin surrounding elements 10, 11, 12. The pillars 20 are thusconfigured to guide and secure the surrounding elements 10, 11, 12further securing the rows of panel walls 15, 16, 17. The surroundingelements 10, 11 and 12 may be made solidary to the panel walls 15, 16,17 or may be manufactured separately. If manufactured separately, thesurrounding elements 10, 11 and 12 may be secured to the rows 15, 16, 17on-site by any fastening means know in the art or by slits adapted tosecure the two parts. In some embodiments, a plurality of pillars 20 maybe coupled on top of one another to increase the height of the system100 wherein other embodiments, the height of a pillar 20 may be adaptedat a predetermined length. It may be appreciated that the coupling ofpillars 20 and surrounding elements 10, 11, 12 provides the ability torotate a wall section 1 from another 2. As can be seen in FIG. 1, thewall section 1 is angled from the wall section 2 at an angle 4.Understandably, different wall sections 1, 2, 3 may be coupled to oneanother at an interlocking location 13. The pillar system may beconfigured to hold many possible retaining wall designs 1, 2, 3,comprised of solidary and surrounding elements 10, 11 and 12 to the saidretaining wall panels 1, 2 and 3 in order to be fixed about and/oraround the pillars 20. Therefore, the system 100 may be standard andmodular and may provide various retaining wall functions and positions,at multiple locations. The system may further constitute a multi-stagearchitecture method for a universally reversible ground retaining wallpanel system, built on ground, with the ability to be installedunderground. All of the above parts of the system 100 can be built fromany materials such as, but not limited to, composite, steel, syntheticmaterials and concrete, including reinforcement elements along and amongthe very wall panels 15, 16.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the modular wall panel system 100 comprises aplurality of wall sections 1, 2, 3. The wall sections 1, 2, 3 may havevarious and variable height and shape configured to retain the groundsurfaces 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34. Accordingly, the wall sections 1, 2, 3comprise at least one or two standard pillar structures 20 of variouslengths being set out from a lowermost parts 25, 23 installed firmlyfrom below the ground 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34. From the ground level arethe elements 22 to 21 of the pillar 20. From the standpoint of theexterior part of the system 100, opposed to the wall sections 1, 2, 3 incontact with the retained soil from the ground up, at least onein-between universally reversible retaining panel 1, 2 and 3 forming thecentral interconnecting part among and between the said at least one totwo pillars 20 along the vertical lengths of the two lateral sides 10and 11 or the central part 12 of the retaining panel to form at leastone universally modular retaining wall; at least one solidary universalsurrounding element 10, 11, and 12 on each said of the two respectivelateral sides of the said retaining panel 10 and 12, or at least oneabout the main surface 11 of the said retaining panel; at least eachsaid surrounding element 10, 11 and 12 forming in vertical length alongaxis 19, in respect to vertical height of the panel 1, 2 and 3, havingno more than at least half of the full vertical height of the simplestpanel 1, 2 and 3 to form the shortest in vertical height said panelarchitecture for it to be considered universal and intertwininginterlocking 13 in order to be said an adaptable and integrated ofuniversally reversible retaining panel 1, 2 and 3 constituting auniversal and standard modular multi-stage ground retaining wallarchitecture; at least the same said vertical length of surroundingelement 10, 11 and 12 forming any given set of said retaining panels 1,2 and 4 for a given built installation and assembly of universallyreversible panels into a universal and standard modular multi-stageretaining wall architecture; at least each said part of universalsurrounding elements 10, 11 and 12 being centrally piled around said atleast one to two pillars' structures 23, 25, 24, 22 and 21 of pillar 20thereby to behold the said at least one retaining panels 1, 2 and 3which constitute thereby a retaining wall architecture.

Referring to FIG. 3, the wall section 2 comprises three pillars 20, twoat opposite ends and one in the center of the section 1. Surroundingelements 10, 11, 12 of one pillar 20 may be offset from one anotheralong the vertical length/axis 19 of said pillar 20. Furthermore, theplacement of surrounding elements 10, 11, 12 of one of the pillars 20may also be offset from the placement of another of the pillars 20. Itmay be seen in the surrounding elements 11 of one of the outmost pillars20 being offset along the axis 19 compared to the surrounding elements10, 12 of the other two pillars 20. Understandably, any configuration ofsurrounding elements 10, 11, 12 placement may be used. The unsymmetricalplacement of surrounding elements of two opposites pillars 20 may allowthe coupling of two sections 1, 2, 3 without having surrounding elementsof two sections overlapping over one another. The unsymmetricalplacement of the surrounding elements 10, 11 may allows a universal andintertwining interlocking 13 of surrounding elements 10, 11 and 12 ofdifferent sections 1, 2, 3. The coupling 13 may be made at its lateralelements 10 and 11, yet it may also be made in the centered element 12of the section 2. It may be appreciated that a wall section 1, 2, 3 maycomprise less or more than three pillars 20 as shown in FIG. 3 and thatthe sections 1, 2, 3 may be connected to other sections 1, 2, 3 at anyof the pillars 20. It may further be appreciated that surroundingelements 12 may be located at any point in the length of a wall panel15, 16, 17 and may thus be coupled to a pillar of another modular wallpanel section.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the system 100 comprises multiple sections 1,2, 3 having unsymmetrical surrounding elements being offset 14 with adifferent placement than the offset 14 of the surrounding element 10.The quantity of surrounding elements 10, 11, 12 and their offset 14differ for each height of the different sections 1, 2, 3 along the axis19. In order to allow any additional universal surrounding elements 10,11 and 12 and wall panels 15, 16 along any of the pillars 20, the heightof the pillars 20 must be increased. The increase of the pillars' 20length may be made by replacing said pillars 20 with longer ones or byadding another pillar 20 over the original one.

In FIG. 1, the modular wall panel system 100 is made into a wallarchitecture of various sections 1, 2, 3 having variable lateralorientations 4 in respect to the distance and position of each of thepillars 20. Furthermore, the length 18 and height 19 of a section 1, 2,3and therefore of the system 100 may be varied by providing differentlengths and heights of wall panels 15, 16, 17 and/or a varying quantityof pillars 20 within a section 1, 2, 3. It may further be appreciatedthat the shape 3 of the wall panels 15, 16, 17 may be configured to varyand thus offer differing lengths 18. In another embodiment of theinvention, reinforcing elements may be used to strengthen the wallpanels 15, 16, 17. The angle of the pillars 20 may also be used toprovide varying shapes of the system 100.

Further provided is a method of installing the modular wall panel system100, the method comprising the steps of securing to the ground two ormore pillars, coupling to the two or more pillars at least one wallpanel with surrounding elements to create a first wall section andsecuring a second wall section to the first wall section by couplingsurrounding elements of the second wall section to one of the two ormore pillars of the first wall section. The method may further compriseoffsetting the surrounding elements of the at least one wall panel ofthe first wall section at a predetermined distance from one another andoffsetting the surrounding elements of the second wall sectionunsymmetrically to the offset of the surrounding elements of the atleast one wall panel of the first wall section. The method may furthercomprise securing for each of the two or more pillars a base to theground and securing to each of the bases a pole configured to be coupledto the surrounding elements.

Other applications may include, and not be limited to, ice-skatingpanels to surround the ice-skating area, fences for various purposes,and as well for other permanent to temporary installations, such as, andnot limited to, construction works to secure waterway passages orconstruction casing for cement structures while they solidify, forinstance.

While illustrative and presently preferred embodiments of the inventionhave been described in detail hereinabove, it is to be understood thatthe inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employedand that the appended claims are intended to be construed to includesuch variations except insofar as limited by the prior art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A modular wall panel section, the sectioncomprising: one or more pillars; at least one wall panel secured to theone or more pillars; and surrounding elements coupling the one or morepillars to the at least one wall panel.
 2. The modular wall panelsection of claim 1, the surrounding elements of the one or more pillarsbeing offset from one another along a height of the pillar.
 3. Themodular wall panel system of claim 2, the surrounding elements of afirst pillar being offset unsymmetrically with the surrounding elementsof a second pillar.
 4. The modular wall panel section of claim 2, theone or more pillars being configured to be coupled with surroundingelements of another modular wall panel section, the offset of thesurrounding elements being different from the offset of the surroundingelements of the other modular wall panel section.
 5. The modular wallpanel section of claim 1, the section further comprising intermediarysurrounding elements located along a length of the at least one wallpanel and configured to be coupled to a pillar of another modular wallpanel section.
 6. The modular wall panel section of claim 1, the one ormore pillars comprising a base and a pole, the base comprising a holefor receiving an elongated section of the pole and the pole configuredto be coupled to the surrounding elements.
 7. The modular wall panelsection of claim 1, the surrounding elements being manufacturedunitarily with the at least one wall panel.
 8. The modular wall panelsection of claim 1, wherein two or more of the wall panels are stackedon top of one another.
 9. The modular wall panel section of claim 1, theat least one wall panel having a curved shape.
 10. The modular wallpanel section of claim 1, the at least one wall panel comprisingreinforcing elements.
 11. The modular wall panel section of claim 1, thesection being configured to retain ground and structural elements.
 12. Amodular wall panel system, the system comprising: two or more modularwall panel sections, the sections each comprising: one or more pillars;at least one wall panel secured to the one or more pillars; andsurrounding elements coupling the one or more pillars to the at leastone wall panel, wherein the two or more modular wall panel sections arecoupled to one another at one of the one or more pillars.
 13. Themodular wall panel system of claim 12, the surrounding elements of oneof the two or more modular wall panel sections being offset from oneanother, the offset being different from the offset of surroundingelements of another of the two or more modular wall panel sections. 14.The modular wall panel system of claim 12, the two or more modular wallpanel sections further comprising intermediary surrounding elementslocated along a length of the at least one wall panel and configured tobe coupled to the pillar of another modular wall panel section.
 15. Themodular wall panel system of claim 12, a height of one of the two ormore modular wall panel sections being different from a height ofanother of the two or more modular wall panel sections.
 16. The modularwall panel system of claim 12, a length of one of the two or moremodular wall panel sections being different from a length of another ofthe two or more modular wall panel sections.
 17. The modular wall panelsystem of claim 12, the system being configured to retain ground andstructural elements.
 18. A method of installing a modular wall panelsystem, the method comprising the steps of: securing to the ground twoor more pillars; coupling to the two or more pillars at least one wallpanel with surrounding elements to create a first wall section; securinga second wall section to the first wall section by coupling surroundingelements of the second wall section to one of the two or more pillars ofthe first wall section.
 19. The method of installing a modular wallpanel system of claim 18, the method further comprising: offsetting thesurrounding elements of the at least one wall panel of the first wallsection at a predetermined distance from one another, offsetting thesurrounding elements of the second wall section unsymmetrically to theoffset of the surrounding elements of the at least one wall panel of thefirst wall section.
 20. The method of installing a modular wall panelsystem of claim 18, the method further comprising: securing for each ofthe two or more pillars a base to the ground; securing to each of thebases a pole configured to be coupled to the surrounding elements.